Golden Sun
by shattered petal
Summary: After so many years, saying "sorry" is just not enough anymore. For the first time in her life, Yoruichi finds herself wanting to be forgiven more than anything. If only Suì-Fēng weren't so stubborn. -Yoruichi/Suì-Fēng


**Title**: Golden Sun  
**Genre**: Romance  
**Rating**: T  
**Couple**: Yoruichi/Suì-Fēng

* * *

Golden Sun  
**Chapter 1.**

* * *

She disappeared for another fifteen years, but, this time, the student didn't _wait_.

* * *

In the back of her mind, Yoruichi Shihōin _knew_ she wasn't a good person. Throughout the many years of her life, she had done _good deeds_, but that didn't necessarily make her a _good_ individual. A good individual was surely someone who acknowledged the feelings of those closest to them. Many times, Yoruichi had failed to apologise when she had made a mistake, or hurt someone. It had nothing to do with pride, either. She just _didn't_ apologise; didn't _realise_. Her ignorance was what made her seem so cruel.

She was _aware_ of obliviousness to apologise, but refused to do anything about it. There was no _desire_ to apologise, no _real_ force within her that made her want to say "sorry". Was it because she was _certain_ of her actions? Certain that she was doing what was best, certain that any other alternative would not be beneficial?

Yoruichi hated being wrong, so maybe her lack of an apology was due to that.  
Maybe it was pride all along.

Maybe the crown which had drilled into her skull all of these years was finally starting to damage her; damage her perceptions. As a Princess, Head of her Family, she _was_ pampered, was looked up to. The repercussions of such a luxurious, _grounding_ lifestyle had come back to her in an unfriendly manner. She knew it wasn't only she who thought herself as evil. There were quite a handful who disliked her, and it never became so obvious until now.

It was obvious why Suì-Fēng continued to feel _bitter_. So lost in her own dealings, Yoruichi forgot; she forgot about her student, her protégé. _Left her behind_, without even a good bye. As soon as the decision was made, Yoruichi was no longer a Soul to admire. In Suì-Fēng's eyes, she was _poison_. An intoxication. A sly, vindictive witch who fooled her into the most sacred realms of the heart, and then abandoned her. She didn't look back once. It was settled then that no forgiveness would be shared from either women.

Only _now_ did the guilt _really_ sink in.

But the flaw didn't vanish. The Winter War had ended, the Quincy were gone (for now), and Soul Society was in such a blissful, peaceful state it was almost unrecognisable. The Gotei could finally take a pause, have a moment to breathe, and it didn't take long for Yoruichi to take her leave again. Many wouldn't have noticed her absence, she was rarely witnessed within Soul Society anyway. While she was gone, though, she wondered if she was missed, and only one face came to mind.

It was a selfish, cruel wish. Yoruichi left her without a word again, but, this time, it felt as if there wasn't any point in saying good bye. They might bump into each other in the future, but the bond they once shared was shattered, and just by looking at Suì-Fēng, Yoruichi knew it would be a waste of energy to redeem herself. It was selfish why she left too; there was nothing for her in Soul Society –– not anymore. Blindly, she had managed to lose the one thing closest to her. Instead of the page being turned, the book was slammed _shut_.

However, a lot could change in fifteen years.

* * *

Living alone was something Ichigo both enjoyed and hated. It was nice to not have everyone fussing over him constantly, being given orders from elders and told what to do. However, at times, he did feel lonely. Ichigo _liked_ company; he was sociable. His "career" as a Substitute Shinigami had boosted his confidence, and made him more open and approachable. Lately, he seemed to have been a magnet for networking and conversation. Plus, he did miss his family at times, particularly his sisters.

Dumping his coat onto the bed, Ichigo slumped down and pulled off his shoes, before lying back, staring up at the ceiling. Slipping his hand beneath his top, he rubbed his tummy, and just stared idly for a while, exhausted from the past week. It was dark out, so with the curtains drawn, and the light switched on, his bedroom was very cosy. So cosy even he nearly fell asleep until he heard a faint _tap_ping against the window.

At first, he thought it was the radiator, but then the _tap_ping continued, a little harder. Ichigo sat upright, and turned to the window. It was coming from there. Frowning, he stood up and approached the window, whipping open the curtains.

Due to the darkness, he wouldn't have been able to see the black cat outside if it weren't for its glowing, gold irises. Ichigo cocked a brow, confused. How on earth did this cat get up here? More, whose cat was this? For some odd reason, the cat was keen on getting in, and Ichigo found it hard to refuse. Sliding open the window, the cat gracefully stepped inside, and jumped from the windowsill onto the floor. It stretched, before climbing onto his bed and nestling itself there. At once, the cat fell asleep.

Weird.

Ichigo didn't mind cats. He was quite fond of them, and, thankfully, this cat looked clean and well groomed. Stepping over, he checked its neck to see if it had a collar, but it surprisingly didn't. For a cat to have such smooth, clean fur, surely it lived in the house, not the street. Ah, well. Maybe Karin might take the cat in, or Orihime. Ichigo didn't see himself as the pet-owning type. Odd how this cat chose his house of all places.

Stripping down to his boxers, he had dinner, brushed his teeth and got into bed. The cat remained where it was two hours ago, still sleeping. Poor thing must be exhausted. To his concern, the cat was still sleeping when he woke up. Weren't cats nocturnal? And they never slept for this long in one go, did they? Not daring to stir the animal, he changed for the day. Thankfully, it was his day off, and he honestly didn't intend to do much. Maybe he could send the cat to a vet, check to see if it wasn't ill or why it was sleeping for this long.

His morning jog was disturbed when he bumped into a couple of friends, and by the time he arrived back home it was gone one in the afternoon. Running up the stairs, he simultaneously pulled off his shorts, boxers and t-shirt in order to shower. Barging open his bedroom door, he stepped inside and found himself staring at a woman dressed in nothing but his white dressing gown.

A grin reached her lips. 'Ichigo, I was wondering when you'd return!' Her eyes fell to his lower regions, then to his face again, 'Oh––'

'_What the Hell are you doing here_?!' Red in the face, Ichigo didn't wait for an answer. Instead he dashed straight for his en-suite, slamming the door shut behind him.

'It was fun to watch you go,' Yoruichi teased, causing Ichigo to blush even more.

No, _no_, that was not amusing in the slightest. Teeth jarred, Ichigo was _this_ close to screaming in embarrassment. Of _course_ that black cat was her! 'Will you let me change into something _decent_?!' He yelled from behind the door.

'By all means! You're the one who ran away as if you'd seen a ghost.'

'_I was naked_!'

'It's nothing I haven't seen before.'

The door cracked open, and Ichigo could be seen glaring at her through the gap. 'Why are you here?'

Yoruichi shrugged, and sat on the edge of his bed. 'You could be a little happier to see me, y'know? It has been a very long time. I wanted to see you.'

'You could have, I don't know, _knocked on the door_ like _normal_ people do!'

Yoruichi smirked at him. 'Oh, you know I'm not normal. Plus, I couldn't miss the opportunity of you making a hissy fit.'

Wisely, he decided to ignore that comment. '... You do realise you basically invaded my home, right?'

'No, you willingly let me in.'

'You were a cat!'

'You _still_ let me in.'

Ichigo slammed the door shut. 'At _least_ turn away while I dress myself. Also, you didn't _ask_ to use my dressing gown!'

'Oh? So, you'd rather see me stark naked, eh? You _are_ a pervert!'

'Am not!'

Yoruichi laughed, stood to her feet and faced the window, back to the bathroom. 'Fine, fine. I'm not looking. Promise.'

Hesitantly, Ichigo opened the door, and quickly dashed for his boxers in one of the drawers. In his panic, he accidentally bumped his knee against the wood, causing a rather nasty graze. 'Ah!' Once his boxers were pulled on, he limped over to the bed and collapsed, looking at the damage made. Looking up, he realised in horror that Yoruichi had been watching him the whole time. '_I'm_ a pervert?'

'It's hilarious how bashful you are,' she grinned, stepping over. 'Funny that even after fifteen years, you're _still_ single.'

'How do you know that?'

Yoruichi shrugged. 'I noticed there aren't any signs of a partner. One toothbrush, only one set of clothes. Not to mention this place is a tip. If you had a woman here, she'd be nagging you to keep everything in order.'

'Pst, I still have time,' Ichigo grumbled. 'Only fifteen years has passed, so that only makes me, sort of, near thirty.'

'You mean, sort of, near forty.'

Ichigo pulled a face. 'And you? I don't exactly see _you_ getting married anytime soon.'

'Oh, now, that was mean!'

'It's been nearly four-hundred years. That's a long time.'

'Maybe I don't want to get married, Ichigo.'

Ichigo rolled his eyes. 'Right.'

'No, really. Why would I want to do that? Marriage is a great way to ruin your life. Trust me, as soon as that ring is around your finger, nothing is _just_ yours anymore. You have to share. And when he or she doesn't like the shit you own, you have to throw it out.'

'Except you don't really own anything.'

That was true. Compared to how she used to live, the majority of Yoruichi's possessions were relieved from her. In a way, it made her appreciate the small things. Back then, she didn't have to _ask_ for something; it was just given to her. Nowadays, she had to work hard for even a bit of food. It certainly made her not take anything for granted, but this illusion of freedom wasn't very freeing at all. As Royalty, she was subjected to rule and order. Running away from such restraints woke her up to what life beyond was like.

Difficult. It was difficult, and when one didn't necessarily have a home, it was even worse.

However, she didn't _need everything_. It was tricky adjusting, but she managed.  
And she _learnt_.

'So, why did you come back?'

Ichigo's question distracted Yoruichi from her thoughts. Raising a brow, she had to think about that. _Why_ did she return? To be honest, the answer was obvious, but she couldn't say. It was too personal. 'Came back to fetch something that was mine.'

'Huh.'

'Left it behind, see.'

And _that_ was the truth, but Yoruichi wasn't going to reveal any further. It was odd that, through absence, through not being near Suì-Fēng, she realised something. Something very hidden and intriguing. The emotions she felt weren't describable, but they could control her to very core. She hadn't felt this way before in her life.  
Naturally, she was a woman of action.  
If a matter troubled her, Yoruichi would voice it, whatever the case.

Nothing was stopping her this time, either.

'Good luck, then.' Ichigo grabbed his trousers and pulled them on.

'Thanks.' _I'll need it_. This was the second time Yoruichi had left without a word, and it would be a miracle if Suì-Fēng forgave her. In a way, there wasn't any point in trying.

'We're not sharing the bed,' Ichigo warned.

'Goodness, no! You're taking the floor.' The grin returned to her face, and no matter what Ichigo said, she would win. 'What have you got planned today, then, Ichigo?'

'Shouldn't you be fetching what you left behind?'

Yoruichi didn't know if she was up to do that just yet. 'Nah, I have a while. Anyway, you should show me around Karakura Town; see if there's been any differences over the past fifteen years.'

'Urgh,' Ichigo ran a hand through his hair. 'Fine, but you're not going out dressed like that!'

* * *

**author's note**: So, I somehow just fell in love with Yorusoi, and had to write about them. This chapter is more a prologue than anything, and things should take a quicker pace very soon. I feel "iffy" about this story as a whole, mostly because this is pretty much my first time writing Yoruichi. Once Suì-Fēng comes onto the scene, it'll be even trickier, seeing as I haven't written about her either. For the moment, I lack in a lot of confidence, but I needed to write this story, seeing as I missed the last ten minutes of my lecture thinking about it. I'll try my best to keep the angst to a minimum, but unfortunately I am an angst freak. We'll see how it progresses.

Thanks for reading, and please leave some feedback if you can. I really appreciate it a lot.


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